Development of a Magnetic Hydrocyclone Separation for the Recovery of Titanium From Beach Sands

Abstract

The recovery of titanium from very fine particles of beach sand of Sri Lanka has been investigated using conventional hydrocyclone and novel magnetic hydrocyclone separation methods. A new design for a magnetic hydrocyclone has been developed using a permanent rare earth neodymium–iron–boron (Nd–Fe–B) magnet. Compared to the conventional hydrocyclone, this magnetic hydrocyclone was 5% more efficient in the recovery of titanium from the beach sand deposit with a commercial standard concentrate. It was also found that, for very fine particles, the titanium grade increased significantly (up to 56% TiO2) when titanium-bearing minerals were separated using the novel magnetic hydrocyclone separation technique. Therefore, this type of magnetic hydrocyclone has potential to produce significant reduction in the processing time, thus saving energy and the running cost in an appropriate industrial application economically and efficiently.

Study and Modeling of the Magnetic Field Distribution in the Fricker Hydrocyclone Cylindrical Part

“…In addition, his work shows graphs of changes in field strength in the working chamber only along the radius, while the field also changes with the height of the apparatus. The work by V. I. Prosvirnin gives a more complete picture of the distribution of the magnetic field by experimental measurement of the magnetic field in the cylindrical part of the hydrocyclone by the radius and height of the apparatus (Figure 2) [9]. The article [2] gives an analytical expression of the criteria for evaluating magnetic hydrocyclones based on the assessment of the magnetic field in the working field [10].…”

Magnetic classification in health sciences and in chemical engineering

“…For many years magnetic systems have been coupled with this devices, in order to try to enhance their performance -by complementing the effect of the centrifugal force with a magnetic force created by a set of permanent magnets, electromagnets (Fig. 8) or superconducting magnets [21,22]. However, the efficiency of these magnetic hydrocyclones and cyclones has never reached industrial satisfactory levels.…”

High-effective magnetic hydrocycloning equipment for magnetite ore processing

“…The most demonstrative example of high-efficient use of a magnetic hydrocyclone (MHC) may be the known facility with the electromagnetic system arranged outside, on the hydrocyclone cone and with the magnetic fraction outlet from the vortex finder [1]. Such type hydrocyclones were proposed for operation at ilmenite placers [14]. The major disadvantages of this facility and this mechanism of magnetic fraction recovery from a rotating flow of suspension is low-quality of separation of polydisperse mineral suspensions composed of particles of different sizes.…”